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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. capital — a city
  5. present — there
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. present — the time now
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. present — a gift
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. march — the month
  14. capital — money
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. tube — a container
  20. vault — a safe
  21. tube — the underground
  22. march — the month
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com